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Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2014

From the recurring shows of last year to the newest shows of 2014, there are a lot of shows I am dying to see in the new year. So, as the new year quickly comes upon us with all new January shows, I decided to make my list of my most anticipated television series of 2014. With most of these shows premiering in the coming months, I'll eventually get to the summer and fall shows of 2014 and rate the ones I'm most excited for. And so, here are the shows I am most excited for in the beginning of the new year:

Serial Killers, Cannibals, and Headless Horsemen:
My favorite shows of 2013, which include the likes of the cult thriller The Following, along with the gripping duo of re-imagined tales of old classics, Hannibal and Sleepy Hollow, were among the top of my list for my most anticipated shows. First up is the creepy tale of a growing cult following behind an escaped serial killer, Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) in The Following on Fox. This freaky thrill-ride of a show caught me from the first episode, Carroll escaping prison and the FBI enlisting former foe of Carroll, Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon), to recapture him again. From there, it's just a complicated pile of pure terror (which is good), with a variety of unique and terrifying followers of Joe Carroll, who try and stop Ryan and his team from getting anywhere near Carroll. Returning for a second season at the end of this month, The Following is at the top of my list for the year's returning shows. Then, there's NBC's Hannibal, a retelling (or more of a re-imagining) of the classic Thomas Harris story of the cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). This show was creepy, bloody, dark, psychological, and quite simply, crazy. After quickly getting into the show and learning who Dr. Lecter really was, I was excited to read all of Thomas Harris' four books on this engrossing character in order to further enjoy the show and gawk at its insane, and quite gruesome, psychological nature. I also loved every character in the show, from the conflicted FBI agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) to the elegant murderer within Hannibal Lecter. Season two of the show, coming in February, will most likely include more bloody murders, more eating humans, and one pissed-off Will Graham (watch the season finale to see what I mean!). Next is the modern retelling of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" called Sleepy Hollow, surprisingly. Telling the story of Ichabod Crane (Tom Mison), a Colonial-era soldier who wakes up in modern-day Sleepy Hollow after getting killed by the Headless Horseman in 1781, the show was pretty entertaining from the start. Now, with the Headless Horseman alive again along with Crane, Crane teams up with Lt. Abigail Mills (Nicole Beharie) to take down any other supernatural beings that accompany the Horseman. The show instantly became a hit, with its supernatural vibe and awesome Headless mastermind (ironic, right?), leading the show to be at the top of my most anticipated returning shows of 2014.

TV Comedies: Meeting the Mother, Making Cops Funny, and Enlisting the Crazier Ones
From the returning comedies of past years, like How I Met Your Mother,to new shows from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Crazy Ones to Enlisted, TV comedies have been around and buzzing for the past few years. The newest comedies on a variety of stations, like Fox's Brooklyn Nine-Nine and CBS's The Crazy Ones, are some of my top funny shows of the new year. Realizing that there are more and more comedies on the horizon, I chose some of my favorites so far this year, along with one or two that I'm looking forward to. First up is the nine-season hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, chronicling the tales of five friends in New York, all told by Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) to his kids in the year 2030, who also tells of how he met their mother. Sadly, after nine consecutive seasons, the hit show will come to an end later this year, as the show tells of the moment when Ted will meet the mother of his children at two of the main characters' wedding. The final season, which has had an unfortunate hiatus for about two weeks now, has been keeping me on the edge about how it will all end with all of the amazing characters on the show. Hopefully, the creators will end the show well and make it a worthy nine-season wait for the final episode of this hilarious cult comedy. Next are two new shows to television as of last year, funny-cop sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine and the outrageously crazy ride of The Crazy Ones. These two comedies, starring funny guys Andy Samberg and Robin Williams, top my list for year's funniest shows so far. I've loved Andy Samberg since he popularized the Digital Shorts on Saturday Night Live, making the sketch-comedy show even funnier. With him on the show, I knew I couldn't miss it. On the other hand, comedic legend Robin Williams leads a unique cast of advertisers in The Crazy Ones, about an advertising father-daughter team that struggles to sell the oddest of things. I was pleasantly surprised at how funny this show ended up being, and hope that the coming future of the show gets even more hilarious and crazy. Finally, there's the new Fox show Enlisted, about Army Staff Sergeant Pete Hill (Geoff Stults) who must return to the US after punching a superior officer, where he is assigned to supervise a troop of misfits that includes his younger brothers. While the show didn't look as promising as I had hoped, it should be a good comedy about the Army and one dysfunctional troop of misfits trying to get along.

And Some Other Shows I'm Excited For:
Other returning shows I'm anticipating this year include the sci-fi buddy-cop show Almost Human, the criminal-chasing thriller The Blacklist, and the Marvel-centered secret agent series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, all becoming some of my favorite shows of last year with their eccentric and exciting premieres. Some of the new shows I'm excited for in the coming year include the super-smart cyber-themed show Intelligence, that premiered this month, the Louisiana-set HBO drama True Detective, and the BBC miniseries centered around the creator of James Bond called Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond.

Well, that's my list so far, but I bet there will be a barrage of new and upcoming shows to surpass my teen expectations of good television shows. Now, I bet you're wondering, why did I talk about TV on a blog about movies? Well, to answer that question (if you even cared), I just wanted to expand a little on what I do on this blog for myself and for whomever may be reading this right now. So, just for my enjoyment, I just decided to rant on television shows that look awesome to me and then write a long, grueling sentence about why I did it (which doesn't seem all that necessary now, does it?) Oh well, hope you guys had a great holiday and a great New Years. Be sure to come back for more reviews and rants later in the year.
Oh yeah, while you're still here, tell me about some of your most anticipated shows and films of 2014 in the comments, and I'll see which ones I agree (or disagree) with in the end. Happy 2014, guys!

Hello there! I'm Tyler, an aspiring film critic and a lover of all things movies. Here, I write about what I love, everything from my thoughts on the latest films/TV out there to discussions and speculations about future ones to come. Remember to follow and share for weekly content -- including reviews on the biggest films I see, and monthly spotlights of your favorite Hollywood stars!